Plane Crash Kills Pilot Friday Night Near Riegelwood Electronics for New Courthouse Still Not Installed Whiteville Man Was Fligh
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•Gators smash winless streak by conquering Titans. •Pack holds off Trojan bid with big-play offense, clutch defense. •Stallions fall hard to Wallace-Rose Hill. •SCHS spikers garner two Sports more victories. See page 1-B. ThePublished News since 1890 every Monday and Thursday Reporterfor the County of Columbus and her people. Monday, September 14, 2015 Plane crash kills Volume 125, Number 22 Whiteville, North Carolina pilot Friday night 75 Cents near Riegelwood nDuplin County man, flying alone, dies in crash in Inside thick woods near Old Lake Road. By BOB HIGH 2-A Staff Writer •Old Dock library James Pierce, 76, of Chinquapin in Duplin County, was killed gets $50,000 boost Friday evening in the crash of his small airplane in a thickly from Dollar General. wooded area off Old Lake Road between N.C. 11 and N.C. 87 near Riegelwood. 3-A Columbus County Coroner Linwood Cartrette said Pierce was flying alone after taking another man, a pilot, to a private •New urgent care airstrip in the Byrdville-Freeman Road area to get another center opens airplane. Pierce was apparently headed home from the airstrip today at CRHS. south of U.S. 74-76 when his plane began to lose altitude. The crash was noted about 7:19 p.m. when Columbus County 10-A Emergency Services received a notification from a spotter plane that an emergency transponder – or beacon – was transmitting •Railroad repairs a signal near Riegelwood. underway; Angel Montecino’s home is less than half a mile from the Chadbourn work is crash and was in the flight path of the aircraft that flew ex- tremely low over his home. first leg. “It was so loud it drowned out the TV and air conditioner,” Montecino said. “I thought it was a military plane until I heard about the crash in the morning.” DIDYOB? Deputies from the Columbus County Sheriff ’s Office, county Did you observe ... emergency personnel and individuals from the ADR Fire Depart- ment began looking for the wreckage. Coroner Cartrette said Abby Barnes, 3, he was notified shortly after midnight Friday to go to the scene. Cartrette said he had to walk about 200 yards from a logging from Guideway road that is near Old Lake Road to reach the wreckage. The performing with coroner said Pierce died instantly from multiple injuries, and was still in his harness when found. the Old Zion Wes- Authorities from the Federal Aviation Administration are investigating the cause of the crash. Crews were still search- leyan’s Children’s ing for parts of the airplane on a line along NC 11 Saturday, Choir, stealing the concentrating in the Kelly community near the Pender County line on the east bank of the Cape Fear River. (Jefferson Weaver show Saturday contributed to this article.) during the Go Tell Columbus Cru- sade Talent Show? See Grinder, page 7-A ...Standing ovation Electronics for for Piney For- est Baptist Youth new courthouse Stick Team and still not installed Frog Squad when Staff photo by FULLER ROYAL nOld method of first appearances for felony defen- they made sign Patriot Day dants takes additional time, resources in modern of the cross with To commemorate the 14th anniversary of 9/11, J.E. Thompson erects one of the court facility. American flags along Madison Street in downtown Whiteville. their sticks while By BOB HIGH presenting musical Staff Writer piece at the county Whiteville man was Flight It’s 2015, and Columbus County has moved its courts into a $11 million building with empty wall holders for TVs, empty tables fairgrounds? ... for TV monitors, and some closed-circuit equipment awaiting Paul Stallsworth additional computer hardware and software to perform required trying new training 77 passenger on 9/11 first court appearances by felony defendants. By JEFFERSON WEAVER church. Johnson C. Smith Choir, and And, deliberating jurors or those sent from the courtroom techniques on his Staff Writer His The Appreciations, a singing so a point of law can be discussed in the midst of a trial, can high group. hear what’s being said in the courtroom unless dehumidifier 7-year-old family James Daniel Debeuneure, school The stage was always his equipment is operated to create enough noise to mask the con- dog? ... a Whiteville native, was one of teacher first love, Turner said. versation. 64 people killed when Flight and fellow “Several times, he won Likewise, court officials can hear jurors deliberating a case 77 crashed into the Pentagon church awards for lead actor or best unless dehumidifier equipment in the jury room is operated to Sept. 11, 2001. Another 125 member supporting actor, even at state make noise so the jurors can’t be heard. died on the ground, including Louise level competitions,” Turner Tough to hear Turner said. “He was always ready to “It’s tough to hear in these three new courtrooms, even when County Deaths Columbus County native Wil- Debeuneure lie Troy. remembers participate in things like that, microphones are used,” Resident Superior Court Judge Douglas Debeuneure was a middle him as James Daniel Toon. either at school or church.” Sasser said Friday. “If we don’t use microphones, some of the Whiteville voices of the prosecutors, defense attorneys, witnesses and even Robert Lee McCoy school teacher living in Mary- Debeuneure took his mother’s From his earliest years, land when the crash occurred. maiden name after her death. Debeuneure was a leader, judges are lost,” Sasser added. Chadbourn He left behind two grown “He used to tell me his role Turner said. County Manager Bill Clark said the delay in furnishing the John William Crawford sons and a daughter. He was model was Jesus Christ,” “People wanted to please modern equipment stems from some belief by Architect Paul Bolton escorting a student to Los Turner said. him,” she said. “We had a boy Bonsall that the state was to furnish the TVs, plus computer hardware and software. Annie Mae Smith Angeles on a trip sponsored Turner said one of her at school one time, he was just by National Geographic. lasting memories of Debeu- raising cain. Saying a bunch Now, there has been some movement to get the equipment At 58, Debeuneure was a neure came from his mother’s of things that were scaring necessary to complete the modernization of the courtrooms. But, latecomer to teaching — he funeral in 1961. people—he was going to go it’s still to be advertised for bids, and it’ll take at least another Index returned to college at age 45 to Sadie Virginia Debeuneure get a gun and shoot everybody, 90 days or more for it to be purchased and installed. pursue a teaching certificate. was living in New York when that type of thing. Great present Editorials .......... 8-A In an interview printed after she died, and her son was a “James and his brother If the modernization comes by Christmas it’ll be a great 9/11, his principal and co- high school junior living in just went right up to him and present for the Columbus County Sheriff ’s Office. No longer, Obituaries ......... 7-A under normal circumstances, will bailiffs and extra deputies Sports ................ 1-B workers called him dedicated, Whiteville at the time. started talking him down,” innovative and eager. He was “I remember seeing him she said. “James was telling be required to drive several vehicles to the courthouse and de- Crime ................ 4-A often the first staff member dressed in a trench coat, and him, ‘Let’s go get some lunch. liver, guard and shuffle felony defendants in and out of District Lifestyles ........... 5-A on campus before school each he just looked so mature,” Let’s talk, man, come on.’ courtrooms. day, and had a passion for Turner said. “He had a way “Well, they got him out of Safety of the inmates and deputies, plus the public and teaching. about him, a calming effect there, and a little while later court employees, will be much greater if the first appearance Before becoming a teacher, on people. People were drawn brought him back — and ev- requirements are done through a closed-circuit TV system – the Debeuneure was a profes- to him.” erything was fine. James was way it’s being done in many other counties, several of them in sional with several different Debeuneure received his a calm young man.” southeastern North Carolina. companies, including the bachelor’s degree in psychol- Turner said Debeuneure Humidity problems persist in the facility. Architect Bonsall Army Times newspaper, be- ogy, with a minor in sociol- was “homegrown, just like I recently sent email instructions to District and Superior Court fore he went back to college. ogy, from Johnson C. Smith am.” judges. He said that if the temperature in each courtroom was Raised by his grandmother, University in 1966. A member Turner retired from White- maintained at 75 degrees, the high humidity problems would Hattie Green of Whiteville, of the Kappa Alpha Psi Fra- ville High School shortly be- eventually disappear. ternity, he was also part of the Debeuneure loved acting and See Passenger, page 2-A See Courthouse, page 2-A 2-A – The News Reporter, Monday, September 14, 2015 Contractors working on the Old Dock Elementary School construction project make progress Friday. More than 150 yards of concrete will be poured Tuesday with steel beams going up in the coming weeks. Shamarr Childress and Lakiyah Graham sort through books on a cart at Old Dock School. Much of the school and library was destroyed by fire earlier this year. Old Dock replacement school Old Dock Elementary library gets construction gets off the ground $50,000 boost from Dollar General By NICOLE CARTRETTE News Editor By NICOLE CARTRETTE a natural disaster, fire or an News Editor act recognized by the federal Construction on the new government as terrorism.